Holistic Detox: The Ultimate Solution For a Full Body Cleanse

In today’s modern society, people are exposed to a myriad of toxins that invade the body, loading it with harmful unnatural substances. From mercury, fungicides, herbicides, pesticides, arsenic, air and water pollution, to other heavy metals in our water and food, we are all at risk and that calls for radical corrective steps to help achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. One of the most effective corrective measures is a holistic detox.

Holistic detox is a practical and enjoyable lifestyle change that is deeply rooted in ancient medical systems as well as alternative health practices, which anyone can use to reduce the level of their internal body toxins for a healthier, new you.

As the name suggests, a holistic body detox involves a complete lifestyle change that transforms the body, mind, and spirit for maximal benefits in the shortest time possible. The holistic detox program in this post is customized to be an easy-to-follow and sustainable routine to fully energize your life.

The journey to achieving great results with holistic detox requires a systematic, all-round approach to complete body detoxification. To stem illnesses, heal yourself, and feel great, you must nourish, relieve, detox, and cleanse your body starting from the inside! You must first get rid of toxins that clog your arteries, hang around your intestines, wear out your body organs, and cause symptoms.

Note that when your internal organs have had a refreshing break, they become more proactive in effectively performing their functions and healing the body naturally. Considering that we are surrounded by toxins; in our food, air, environment, water, beauty products, household cleaners, and even thoughts and emotions, we must devise ways of avoiding them or completely getting rid of them by detoxifying our bodies. Your body must also be nourished with clean, nutrient-dense foods, exercise, and positive thoughts for better results.

Before I talk about the benefits of holistic detoxification, let’s learn about detoxification…

The quote by Elson M. Haas, MD, Founder, Preventive Medical Center of Marin is a real inspiration and should encourage you to read this post to the end, “I consider the cleansing/fasting/detoxification process to be the missing link in Western nutrition and a key to the health and vitality of our civilization….I truly believe that cleansing and detoxification is virtually one of the most powerful healing (real healing of ailments and not just suppression of symptoms) therapies I have seen.”

Detoxification and How It Works

Toxins that enter our body are either neutralized directly by the liver or indirectly by being excreted through the urine or feces. The skin and lungs play a very minimal role in removing toxins from our bodies. Naturally, the body stores toxins it can’t get rid of. With increased toxins due to the body’s inability to eliminate the overload, the toxins typically build up in the body tissues, particularly in the fat cells.

The primary cleansing and detoxification organs are generally the liver, the kidneys, and the intestines. The body’s ability to detoxify harmful substances hugely determines a person’s level of wellness.

A toxin is any component that has adverse effects on the cell’s function or structure. Such toxins include:

Liver Toxicants: These include alcohol, drugs, food additives, pesticides and toxic chemicals, which usually lead to serious liver damage in the event of constant exposure.

Heavy Metals: Mercury, lead, and aluminum usually accumulate in the kidneys, brain, and immune system.

Microbial Toxins: Some of the toxins caused by yeast and bacteria in the intestines can really disrupt major body functions when absorbed.

Protein Metabolism Breakdown Products: In case of excessive protein intake, breakdown products like ammonia and urea can put pressure on the kidneys leading to their dysfunction or failure.

It’s worth noting that exposure to herbicides, pesticides, food additives, solvents, and other toxic chemicals can lead to a variety of physical, psychological, and neurological symptoms. Those people suffering from conditions such as asthma, lupus, chronic fatigue, migraines, fibromyalgia, mental fog, weight gain, multiple sclerosis, and other infections, have had a reversal of symptoms at the end of a holistic detoxification and body cleansing process.

What Then Is Holistic Detoxification?

Basically, holistic detoxification is a term used to refer to a comprehensive multi body organ, total body cleansing, and natural detox program that strengthens the body and promotes optimal functioning of the body organs. This program includes: enhancing the process of toxin elimination, reducing toxin intake, and using recommended supportive nutraceuticals, antioxidants, and detoxification herbs to flush out toxins and heal the body.

A holistic detox process has to be systematic since most body organ systems are inter-dependent. For example, as the primary detoxification organ, the liver breaks down environmental toxins and metabolic wastes. It then empties most of the water soluble wastes to the kidneys and the fat soluble wastes to the intestines for elimination through the bile or gallbladder.

Therefore, doing bile/gallbladder flush or a liver detox without first cleansing the kidneys and the colon is like trying to flush down a big load via a clogged toilet. In such a scenario, most of the toxins would end up being re-absorbed from the intestines and this could over-burden the kidneys.

Why a Holistic Detox?

From my personal experience to a better, healthier me, I tried using unusual steps in the cleansing and detoxification process; detoxing the kidney or colon, carrying out a parasite cleanse, a liver/gallbladder flush, or using a candida diet. Despite being helpful in themselves, they couldn’t address the health of my whole body. I’ve since discovered that the most effective method and the best way to achieve utmost good health is through a holistic, systematic approach to a complete body detoxification. Generally, a comprehensive detoxification process takes place over an extended period of time, although it’s very simple and gentle to do.

A comprehensive body cleansing and detoxification program is a sure way to promote optimum body health in several ways:

Detoxify the blood, kidneys, liver, and other body organs

Removal of heavy metals such as mercury and lead

Recharging the body’s immune system using effective antioxidant support

Replenish of friendly bacteria present in the intestines using the probiotics formula

The Most Effective Body Detoxification Products

With so many mediocre or imitated supplements on the market, it’s sometimes difficult to determine what qualifies as the best quality. However, I’ll recommend some excellent detoxification products to help you get started with your detoxification process.

While detoxifying, there are various conditions such as; serious liver issues, heavy metal toxicity, or other serious health challenges which require additional specialized therapies during the cleansing or detoxification process. Some of these therapies are as indicated below:

This is a more concentrated formula which provides a more enhanced liver support and natural organ cleansing and detoxification. The process combines antioxidants, herbs, amino acids, and nutraceuticals with the highly effective concentration of silymarin (milk thistle).

This therapy combines antioxidants and natural chelating agents to assist the body in the removal of heavy metals. This formula is also essential in replacing the more important nutrients that might have been lost during the chelation process.

This therapy mainly promotes healthy lung cleansing and detoxification while suppressing the urge to smoke. Many people have reported finally quitting smoking using this system.

There are many natural holistic detox programs that combine alternative therapies and healing spa treatments to support and enhance your detox experience. These may include magnesium foot soaks, head massages, wraps and scrubs, manual lymphatic drainage massages, far infrared sauna sessions, as well as reiki sessions.

Most comprehensive detox programs combine pre cleanse and post cleanse programs as well as emotional therapies and healing spa experiences. These are all optional and suited for people who just want to escape into the beauty of a complete body cleansing experience both inside and out.

How to Naturally Cleanse and Detoxify Your Body

Besides enhancing your energy and healing the body naturally from symptoms such as; acne, inflammatory issues, and digestive problems, cleansing and detoxification promotes weight loss. Body cleansing and detoxification is an ancient practice that has existed for thousands of years.

During a detox process, the blood, liver, and intestines are cleansed and detoxified using elimination, fasting, stimulation, and nourishment. Depending on your detox needs and objectives, the cleansing and detoxification process can take a day or two, a few weeks, or a month. Before embarking on a detox regime, you should ask your health care provider first if you have any kind of condition that can compromise your health or process such as; pregnancy, cancer, or any other chronic disease.

While on any kind of detox plan, you should avoid taking alcohol, coffee, refined sugar, household poisons, or smoking. In addition, be sure to eat light foods, get enough rest and some quiet time. Fatty foods and red meat should be avoided all together.

Water Cleansing

You know the saying that water is life, right? Well, water also plays a significant role during a body detoxification. The best way to detox your gut or immune system is using a hot water detox. For about 1-2 weeks, drink a mug of hot plain water without any flavors or lemon, every one hour or so. Naturally, the hot plain water will simply open up your gut’s drainage allowing toxins to easily flow out. Repeating this process every hour or so for several weeks will completely enhance your body’s immune system.

For a gentler daily body detox, drink a glass of lukewarm water mixed with lemon every time you wake up. Give your body a half hour or so break before having your breakfast. This routine is highly effective in rehydrating your body after you wake up and will boost your digestive system helping it perform its functions better.

Herbal and Special Detoxification

Herbal supplements have been proven to be effective in promoting gentle cleansing, elimination, and detoxing. When using this approach, you must use 100% pure herbal cleanse and detox products without gluten, fillers, chemicals, and artificial flavor or color. If you choose this option, look for products that contain marshmallow, psyllium husk licorice root, slippery elm bark, and bitter gourd.

Every time you complete a digestive detox or cleanse, you can start a gallbladder or liver cleanse, especially if you suffer from migraines, confusion, lethargy, or mental fog. For the liver, the most ideal detox products should contain milk thistle and bio-available turmeric. There are some complete cleanse products that are rich in spirulina, bio-available chlorella, or probiotics and other algaes which can work wonders in flushing out toxins from your system and boosting your energy level!

Cleansing and Detoxifying Foods

There are many foods that can help detoxify your body naturally. In most cases, raw fruits and vegetables are effective cleansers, especially greens such as kale, turnip, broccoli, dandelion, Swiss chard, or beet greens. If you like, you can also try a 5-day juice-only fast and consumption of water and fruit or vegetable juices only.

Detoxifying Major Body Organs

Kidney Detoxification

Did you know that you have a 1 in 10 chance of developing kidney stones in your lifetime? Each year, thousands of people suffer from renal failure which necessitates a kidney transplant or a dialysis.

Kidneys are 2 small bean-shaped organs and vital to the process of eliminating toxins from your body. Even though small in weight, about the size of your fist, kidneys receive approximately 20% of all the blood pumped from the heart. Two hundred quarts of blood are processed daily in your kidneys, which sifts out almost 2 quarts of extra water and waste products.

Nephrons are tiny units which actually filter the toxins. There are approximately one million nephrons in each kidney. In the nephron, a tiny blood vessel, the glomerulus or capillary, intertwines with a tubule, another tiny urine-collecting tube. The process results in a complicated chemical exchange, as the water and waste materials are flushed out of the blood and into the urinary system.

A kidney cleanse or detox program has to involve intake of lots of liquid and eating a healing diet. An increased consumption of water and healthy diet will be enough. A juice fast incorporating lots of liquids is another form of the kidney cleanse. Another easy way to detox your kidney is purchasing a 20 to 100 pound watermelon and eating as much watermelon as you can during the day. Be sure to empty your bladder regularly.

Colon/Bowel Cleansing and Detoxification

Bowel movements are an essential basis of great health. If you don’t have at least one each day, you’re likely walking your way toward disease. This might be a clear symptom of a toxic bowel. Fewer bowel movements are a possible fertile breeding ground for serious diseases. Poor quality or infrequent bowel movements over a longer period of time is a sign of a toxic bowel and is detrimental to your health, causing serious problems of cancer and immune system dysfunctions.

Constipation is one of the colon or bowel movement problems which indicates that the transition time for toxic or waste removal is slow. Longer transit time allow toxic waste to stay in the bowel and eventually gets putrefied, fermented, and potentially reabsorbed. This increases your risk of developing serious disease. Our diet has changed so much and we ingest lots of terrible foods which cause a lot of harm to our bodies; white flour, refined sugar, antibiotics/hormone-filled meats etc. are continuously destroying our bodies. As a matter of fact, colon cancer is so far the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

This means that all toxins and congestion must be eliminated and this begins with colon cleansing.

Proper Colon Cleansing Program

When properly done, an effective holistic colon/bowel cleansing or detoxification program enhances your body’s optimal health and removes the mucoid plaque, which often weakens the body. Naturally, mucoid plaque should be sloughed off, but because of poor diet and stress, most people develop hardened layers instead of thin layers of mucoid plaque.

Colon cleanse/bowel cleanse/intestinal cleanse/intestinal therapy are all common terms used to refer to the process of cleaning the bowel. An effective colon cleansing and detoxification process can take 3 to 4 weeks or up to a few months and can involve the use of supplements and fasting for a few days. A comprehensive one will also include a parasite cleanse.

Natural Colon Cleansing

This involves dietary and lifestyle change. Cleansing supplements such as herbs known to contain digestive enzymes and probiotics (beneficial bacteria) that kill parasites and worms, or liver, intestines, and gallbladder stimulating herbs, or those that contain cascara sagrada, psyllium seeds or husk, flax seeds or slippery elms among others.

As part of your colon detox or cleansing program, mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds and liquid bentonite in a glass of water and take it first thing when you wake up in the morning. (Wait for about 1/2 hour before eating) and before bed. Take at least 8 glasses of water each day to prevent constipation. Bentonite should be taken separately from supplements and medications so that it doesn’t interfere with absorption.

Liver Detoxification Program

Your liver is a vital organ that helps to process and filter out food, alcohol, medications, and other substances that are ingested into your body. What you consume can cause numerous types of complications, including kidney stones, renal failure, hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. Cleansing and detoxification programs utilizing natural foods and supplements are available. Eating the right diet and exercising are key to effectively cleansing and detoxifying your liver.

To successfully cleanse and detoxify the liver, there are some nutrients that are required. Key antioxidants must be in adequate supply in order to prevent liver damage. Selenium, milk thistle, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) are all effective antioxidants important in the liver detoxification process.

The amino acid SAM-E also plays an essential part in liver health, besides helping with depression. Adding cruciferous vegetables such as; cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts, to your diet can enhance liver detoxification. The B vitamins, including niacin and riboflavin, also help in liver detoxification.

Stomach/Intestines Detox

Your stomach hugely determines the health of your whole body. Your health begins in your digestive system, which takes place in your stomach. It’s in the stomach where all nutrients from the food are absorbed and toxins expelled. It’s difficult to tell what happens in your digestive tract, but the tongue’s color can be the first warning sign. A yellow or white film on your tongue is a first-level indication of toxins in your stomach. Wow! I bet you didn’t know that!

Detoxifying Your Mind

The saying, “you become what you think” is quite true. Your mind and thoughts have to be detoxified as well. Negative emotions, thinking, and attitude as well as toxic relationships are bad enough to your health and can trigger diseases in your systems.

One great way of thinking positively is through affirmations. This can be through positive daily affirmation statements about your health, body, peace, or any other area of your life that needs you to be positive. For example, people who suffer from anxiety can use affirmation statements like “I am at peace.” Just meditating on such affirmations over and over again, day after day, you can start reprogramming your mind.

On the other hand, if you are always negative, try and identify those negative thoughts and stop them, or reword them into more positive ones. If you do this daily, overtime, you’ll become positive. For instance, if you think so much about a certain part of your body that you dislike it such as your stomach, then start focusing on the good things your stomach does and how your body can’t function optimally without it. Change your thoughts about how saggy your stomach is to “My stomach is so helpful, it assists me daily to digest food and heal my body”. With a positive thought like that, you might become more conscious of your stomach’s health and even start eating more health food.

Toxic relationships can really take a toll on your overall health and should be avoided. If you can’t fix the problem, then eliminate it all together because it’s not worth it to keep unhealthy relationships that would eventually affect your health.

Detoxification and Weight Loss

One of the primary reasons why people detoxify the body is to lose weight. There are many holistic natural detoxification methods that are highly beneficial to the body, some of which play a vital role in weight loss.

Research shows that exposure to synthetic chemicals cause damage to the body’s natural weight control mechanisms.

Heavy metals usually bind to both the thyroid hormone binding sites and the sex hormone binding globulin, slowing down metabolism. When a complete cleansing and detoxification program is done, these channels are opened up thus increasing metabolism.

During the colon parasite cleanse and detox phase, 5 to 20 pounds of old fecal matter may be eliminated.

The many toxins stored in fat cells are mobilized and burned to produce fuel during detoxification. During the process of detoxification of body fat, the toxic compounds stored in these cells are moved out and transferred to the liver for further processing and excretion.

Holistic Cleansing and Detoxification for Alcohol and Drug Recovery

Sometimes, cleansing and detoxification means treating a person for drug and alcohol dependence and this normally uses a different procedure that relates to substance withdrawal. Remember, this post focuses on a natural body cleansing and detoxification program for overall health recovery and maintenance.

As a matter of fact, a combination of a holistic cleansing and detoxification program and nutrition plan for substance abuse are in most cases the missing links in many drug and alcohol rehabs.

Children and Detoxification

As earlier highlighted, toxins are all around us and in almost everything we eat, touch, and use. Our children are also exposed to these chemicals and therefore there is a need to cleanse and detoxify their little bodies. So, what’s the easiest and safest way to do this? You are on the right page. Please read on.

Children are particularly susceptible to pesticides, food additives, and other chemicals present in the environment around them. These toxins are very harmful and can lead to cancer, infections, neurological complications, as well as general immune compromise.

A child’s body organs and systems are still developing and therefore their liver and kidneys can’t be strong enough to detoxify in the same way an adult’s detoxification system can. Researchers reveal that some behavioral and health problems with no apparent cause are more often linked to toxins and other pollutants stored up in the child’s body tissues.

One of the most effective ways to reduce toxins from a child’s body is by giving the child a therapeutic clay bath like Kids Clear Detoxifying Clay Bath. Besides drawing out toxins and pollutants from the body, the clay can also help in removing heavy metals that are considered a causative factor in behavioral and neurological symptom development. Clay bath therapy is also used to assist in reducing symptoms in autistic children.

Craving-Free Detox

This cleansing and detox approach is a favorite for most celebrities and supermodels from across the globe. The detox plan focuses more on avoiding foods that are acidic, allergic, refined, and related to food intolerances like red meat, alcohol, wheat, potatoes, and diary produce.

The main idea behind this approach is to alter the body’s PH balance from acid to alkaline. Naturally, this will help the body to flush out toxins that are potentially harmful to the system, helping in restoring energy levels while helping you lose weight. This detoxifying process is also about ‘cutting down’ on specific foods instead of ‘cutting out’ and totally changing your palate so as to prevent cravings. With this detox plan, a three week program and subsequent maintenance course is sufficient to help you shake off the numerous strains of life’s pressures, giving you the kind of body and energy levels we always yearn for.

Important Action Steps:

As you start your holistic detox program, be sure to:

Drink lots of purified water to help the body flush out toxins.

First start and complete a colon-parasite cleansing process, including the candida detoxification.

Eliminate bad foods and substances from your diet such as sugar, alcohol, color and flavor additives, non-prescription and recreational drugs, or anything that may put extra strain on your liver and/or kidneys.

Do moderate exercises to improve lymph and blood circulation to help promote easier elimination of toxin.

Support the major detoxification organs such as the liver, kidneys, intestines, and the skin using various supplements as highlighted above.

Take adequate multi-nutrient supplements to help nourish and support your body systems during the colon cleansing and detoxification process.

Other Simple Ways of Getting Rid of Toxins

Drink a glass of warm water every morning; this will help your stomach to digest the juices inside it allowing it to gain strength and easily eliminate waste from the body.

Fling the junk away. Detoxing your pantry will be one step forward to detoxing your body. From carbonated drinks, frozen dinners, to snack foods, let them find their way to your trash can. Here is a comprehensive list of the foods you should get out of your kitchen.

Say a big NO to processed foods and eat whole foods only. These include whole grains, seeds, fruits, veggies, nuts, and organic dairy.

Take chamomile to help reduce your cravings. A study revealed that chamomile helped smokers to quit the habit.

Leftovers should be ditched. Heating and reheating cause food to lose their nutrients over time. This eventually affects the quality of your food. Food should be eaten only when it’s fresh.

When to Avoid a Holistic Detoxification Program?

A natural holistic body detoxification program is an effective modality for boosting, regaining or maintaining health. However, it should NOT be your #1 remedy when you’re sick. Fact is, if you detox when your body is already emaciated, extremely run down, or when your immune system is already compromised, then you’ll feel weaker and your body may become overwhelmed during the process of eliminating toxins.

If you are pregnant or nursing, you should avoid detoxing your body. However, a detox program prior to conception or a colon cleanse can be a great way to cleanse and prepare your body for the pregnancy.

A holistic body detox is definitely beneficial to your body, but if you choose to undertake the program under these two circumstances, be sure to consult a qualified licensed health professional first.